3.

and Chrift teaches his people by their temptations. Satans Buffetings, are the Saints Schoolings.

Yea, Thirdly, He does not only teach his people; but he does alfo bear up, and uphold their hearts with new jupplies of bis grace, and Spirit, in the times of their temptations. Chrift does not fuffer his people to go into new temptations, with old strength but as a new temptation does come from Satan, fo new fupply of grace and ftrength does come from Chrift. Saies David, in the 94. Pfalm, and the 18. verfe. When I faid, my foot flippeth: tby mercy, O Lord, held me up. He does not fay thus: when my foot flippeth; thy mercy, O Lord held me up: but when I faid, my foot flippetb; when I thought I was quite rejected, caft off, and forfaken: when Ifaid, my foot flippeth: then thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. As new temptations do come in, fo new ftrength

comes in.

Yea, and fupplies of grace in Proportion to our temptations. My grace is fufficient for thee (faies the Lord to Paul) my grace is Fit for thee.

Yea, he does not only give out proportionable ftrength; but an Overplus of ftrength. As the woman, that had Oyl given her, not enough barely to pay her debt, but an O. verplus to live on the reft. So Gods people in the time of their temptations, have not only ftrength given them to ftand out against their temptations, but an Overplus to live on the rest.

Yea, and they have not only in comes of Affifting grace ; but of Accepting grace too; more Accepting grace. God doth and will then Accept leffer than at another time. Though the prayer be weak, and the faith low; yet, faies the Lord, it is the time of temptation with this my poor fervant; and therefore I will take the Duty, though it be never fo little, because it is the time of temptation, it's a time of darkness, and a time of fadnefs. Ye know what our Saviour faid unto Thomas: Reach bither thine band, and put it into my fide: Come Thomas, if thou wilt not beleeve without it, Ple take thy faith, even upon thefe terms, for

I know it is a time of temptation with thee. What grace! what love and mercy is here!

Yea, Fourthly. The Lord Jefus Chrift does not only come in thus, with fupplies of grace, & ftrength in the times of temptation: But he does give his people an Eafe, and a Remedy, a breathing time under their temptations, though they be never fo fad, and never fo great. Indeed, Job faid, That God was his enemy, and would not fuffer him to swallow his pittle, he followed him fo clofe, but the good man was miftaken much: for at the fame time, the time of his temptation, he could fay, I know that my Redeemer liveth; and he could bleffe the Lord: he had his breathing time in the midft of all. When David was perfecuted by Saul, he was under temptation, for, as the Devil cafts fome men into prifon; fo the Devil perfecutes in wicked men: yet David had his breathing time, now and then, Saul given into his hands, as a pledge of that ful deliverance that David should bave afterwards. And this is no other than that which the Apoftle fpeaks of, in that fame I of the Corinthians, the 10. Chap at the 13. verle, Who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also, make a way to escape. Make an Out-let, (fo the word is ;) He will make an Out-let. Though the smoke be very offenfive, yet there fhall be alwaies fome window open for to let it out, or fome door open for a poor tempted foul to go out at: ftil an out-let, fome breathing time in the midst of these temptations.

Fiftly, and laftly. As the Lord Jefus Chrift liveth for ever to make interceffion for us; So he doth it especially when bis People are under temptation; then be prayes for them, and then efpecially. I will not determine, whether Chrift now in Heaven, does intercede Vocally, or Really: but when Satan lies hard upon a poor tempted foul,and fetches blood from it, then does the Lord Jefus ftep in unto his Father, and prefent his wounds, and his blood, and faies unto his Father, O Father, I have prayed unto thee, that this popr man or woman, may not fail in the time of temptation.

Thus

4.

5.

Quest. 2

Anfw.

Thus it was with Peter here; I have prayed for thee: and yet
this was not the time of his full interceffion, when he was
here on earth. There are two parts of Chrifts prieftly Of
fice: Satisfaction, and Intercession. The proper place for
him to make fatisfaction for fin, was here on earth and in
Heaven, the holy of holieft, he does make iterceffion; there
he does do it fully, but he could not forbear while he was
here on earth; but he faies unto Peter I bave praped for thee.
Though my great gork in Heaven be to intercede, and my
fpecial work here on earth be to fatisfie: yet notwithftan-
ding, I have prayed for thee already Peter. And the Lord
Jefus Christ was heard in all chat he prayed for. Now
then, if the lord Chrift doth intercede here on earth for
his poor tempted fervants, and was heard here; how
much more, when his Difciples are tempted, does he inter-
cede, and pray for them in Heaven, and is heard there.
Satan may come running in upon you with his temptation:
but when Satan runs in upon you with his temptation,
Chrift runs into the prefnce of God the Father
fpreads his blood, and his fatisfaction for you, and there
he faies unto the Father, Father, I have prayed that this
man or Womans faich may not fail. Oh! What grace and
mercy, and love is here! Thus in all these refpects, (and
many others that I might mention) is the love of Christ,
and his mercy drawne out unto his people in the time of
there temptation.

⚫ and

Well, But how may it appear, that Chrifts mercy is moft at work, when bis people are most assaulted by Satan?

Christ deals by His, as God the Father did deal by Him. Now ye shall find, that Gods love was never more towards Christ, than when Christ was under temptation. When Chrift came to die, Satan was very bufie; it's called, The bour of darkneß: fo bufie was Satan with all his malice against him: yet then was the Fathers love towards Chrift, then efpecially for faies Chrift, Therefore does the Father Love me, because I lay downe my life, If the Father did therefore love him, because he laid downe his life, then his love

was

was moft at work towards Chrift when this hour of darknefs was. And fol fay, when your hour of darkness is, the hour of temptation; Chrifts love is then moft at work because he deals by His, as the Father did deal by him.

The truth is, Chrifts dealing with his Difciples, was a pattern and plat-form of his dealing with all his people, to the end of the world. Now ye fhall obferve, that Chrifts love was never more let out towards his Difciples, than from this time, after he had faid these words, Satan hath defired to fift you as wheat. After this time they were all offended becaufe of Chrift, and they all forfook him: Peter denied him; fome doubted whether he were the Meffiah or no: and another would not beleeve his Refurre&tion ; & as fheep, they were all fcattered, and shattered; great was their temptations: yet from this time, do but obferve the love of Chrift towards them: after this fpeech, then Chrift preaches a moft excellent,and fweet Sermon to them, in the 14, 15, and 16. chapters of John. Then he takes water and a towel, and washes and wipes his Difciples feet. Then he appoints the Lords Supper. Then he fpend's a whol chapter (the 17. of John) in prayer for them, makes a moft excellent,and fweet prayer for them. Then he cals them his friends: Te are no longer my fervants, but my friends: Yea, bis Children: Yea; his Little children. Never was his love more drawn out, or exprest towards them, than after this time. And (I fay) this was a pattern, and a plat-form of his dealing with all his people unto the end of the world. And therefore, though Chrift do fuffer his own people to be tempted, yet his love and mercy is never more at work than when they are moft affaulted by Satan.

Thirdly, You will fay, What is there in the heart of Jefus Quest. 3 Cbrift, thas does incline him to this indulgence toward his people, that his love and mercy is then most at work when they are most af faulted by Satan?

My beloved, There is the quintefcence of all the excellen, Anfw. cy of loving relations in Jefus Chrift. A Father, a Mother,

a Brother, a Friend; He is the everlasting Father. And his

h-h

foul

foul was in travel (faies the Prophet) He is not ashamed to call you bis brethren. And he is a freind: I call you my friends. Now though parents be tender of their children at al times, yet efpecially when they are fick; then there's a chair of love ftands by the childs bed fide. And fo, though Chrift be alwaies tender of his people, yet then efpecially, when their fouls are fick; and labour under temptation. There is the greatest pity in Chrift that can be, the moft pitiful difpofition in Chrift; which is alwaies laid out where he fees a fit object for it: pray what is the object of pity? The object of pity is, One whom ye love in mifery. If ye fee a man in mifery, yet if ye don't love him, ye don't pity him; If ye lee a man whom ye love, yet if ye don't fee him in miftry, ye don't pity him, ye love him but ye don't pity him but a perfon whom ye love in mifery,is the object of picy. Now all the Saints and people of God, are the beloved of Chrift; and when they are in temptation, that is their greatest mifery; and therefore, when they are moft tempted, then is the love and mercy of Chrift drawn out unto them especially.

Befides, The Lord Jefus Chrift hath a great Intereft, and fhare in every beleever, a fhare going in every beleever. As the member hath an intereft and a fhare in the head; fo the head hath alfo in every member. Thine they were (laies Chrift) and thou gavest them me, Chrift hath a fpecial and great intereft in all his people, and he will not lofe his intereft. The truth is, when Satan does affault a beleever, he does rathar ftrike at Chrift, than at a beleever. And therefore faies Gregory well, The Devil in tempting Job,did not so much strike at Job,as at God; for the Lord had faid, That Job was an upright man and now the Devil would go about to make Job, an Hypocrite; fo that theDevill would fain have made God a liar; and he did not fo much Atrike at Job, as at Gods teftimony of Job, he did ftrike at God. And fo now in all the temptations of the Saints, he ftrikes at Chrift,and they bear thofe temptations because of Chrift, Let a man go on in a wicked, and ungodly way,

Satan